Stanford notebook: NFL draft decisions loom for Cardinal stars

LOS ANGELES -- Just as January bowl games have become an annual event for Stanford, so have January draft decisions.

Last season, quarterback Andrew Luck and offensive linemen David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin headed for the NFL despite having one year of eligibility remaining.

This season, tight end Zach Ertz and linebacker Shayne Skov are among a handful of players who could decide next month to turn pro. They have asked for feedback from the NFL's draft advisory board.

"A number of guys will take serious looks after the season," said All-Pac-12 linebacker Trent Murphy, who includes himself in that group. "There are pros and cons each way.

"Everyone says if you're second (round) or higher, it's hard to come back. If I'm second round, it would make the decision more serious than what I think it's going to be."

Defensive end Ben Gardner and tight end Levine Toilolo also are evaluating their draft prospects, according to sources.

Ertz is considered a high-round pick and the most likely of Stanford's juniors to depart. The unanimous All-American has six touchdown catches and averages 12.7 yards per reception.

Skov was a top NFL prospect until he suffered a serious knee injury early last season. He leads the Cardinal with 73 tackles, but, by his own admission, hasn't regained his pre-injury form.

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Skov, a senior who is eligible for a medical redshirt, has received feedback from the NFL but declined to indicate which way he is leaning.

"I'm weighing all my options," he said. "There are some definite positives to coming back and graduating, playing with my teammates. We've got an incredible team. I love Stanford."

Both Skov and Murphy noted the path followed by senior linebacker Chase Thomas, who opted not to enter the draft last winter and returned to school with two goals in mind: win the Pac-12 title and improve his draft value.

"It paid off for him," Murphy said.

Most Stanford players have vague memories of the Cardinal's last appearance in the Rose Bowl, a 17-9 loss to Wisconsin in January 2000.

"I wasn't thinking about the Rose Bowl when I was 10," said Thomas, who grew up in Georgia. "I was probably out chasing dogs or something."

Skov noted that Badgers tailback Ron Dayne had a big game (200 yards), but that was the extent of his recollection.

"I think, sadly enough, that I was a Cal fan at the time, growing up in the East Bay," he said. "Quickly came to my senses."

Wisconsin will be the third Big Ten team to play in at least three consecutive Rose Bowls, joining Ohio State (1973-76) and Michigan (1977-79).

Center Travis Frederick said the event hasn't lost its luster for the Badgers.

"I think it puts us in a better position," he said. "The first year you come out here and maybe you're a little shaky and nervous about playing in the Rose Bowl.

"Then the second year you come out and you really don't want to take advantage of what you're doing.

"So the third year we've really experienced everything that we've done out here, and now it's truly all about the game."